The Kaman K-Max is probably one of the best-recognized helicopters in the world with its intermeshing rotor system – which still freaks me out a bit every time I see one starting up.
Kilroy’s Hangar brought the little helicopter – which can lift more than its weight, mind you – in 3 different versions: the Rainier Heli Lift version, “equipped with fire suppression tanks and a water siphon snorkel for realistic firefighting missions”, the Rotak Helicopter Services which comes with a “140 foot/43 meter tethered Bambi bucket to simulate limited access aerial firefighting operations”, and the VMUT-2 Night Owls version, a military version that went to service with the USMC in Afghanistan back in 2009.
This last version comes with an optional sling load for logistics missions.
Kilroy’s Hangar indicates that “unique animations help increase immersion while the specialized water controls have been configured to trigger via the simulator’s default controls, allowing you to map these operations to your preferred controller inputs or hotkeys for intuitive use”.
Sounds were taken from an actual K-Max and they are rendered using Wwise.
For the purists out there, a word of caution, directly from Kilroy’s Hangar: “This interpretation of K-Max was designed specifically to provide access and enjoyment to all skill levels. While not being study level, we tried to faithfully reproduce as much originality our skills and situation allowed. Ultimately, this K-Max is a simulation only, it is not capable of reproducing flight dynamics or procedures and may not be used for familiarization or training! K-Max has not been optimized for multiplayer.”
That’s more than fair warning. If you are looking for a realistic K-Max, this is not it, so keep that in mind before pulling the trigger and buying it.
But if you do buy the helicopter, you will also get a practice area scenery, located “by a small lake that has been set up with a few nearby wildfires. 32OR, Pine Hollow Wamic, Oregon”.
If you decide to give Kilroy’s Hangar Kaman K-Max for MSFS a go, you can purchase it here.
